Under-water vehicle.



S. Z. DE PERRANTI.

UNDER WATER VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY20,1909.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

if 75,3 T

I stallations and in particular to provide 1mamount of fuel and sogenerate a compara- SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, 0F GRINDLEFORD BRIDGE,ENGLAND;

UNDER-WATER VEHICLE. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application filed May 20, 1909. Serial N0.'497,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI, a subject of the'King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and residing at Grindleford Bridge, in thecounty of Derby, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in and Relating to Underater Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification. I

The present invention relates to water vehicles such as submarines andtorpedoes, which in certain cases have to operate below the surface ofthe water. Vehicles of the type in question which are adapted to workbelow the water are hereinafter referred to generically as submersibles.In the'case of submarines it is a very common expedient to use twodifferent sets of power plants, one for operating on the surface and onefor operating when submersed.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to greatly simplifysuch inproved methods of and means-for operating with combustlon motors.The common practice with such motors is to oxidize a certain tivelysmall volume of high temperature gases which must be diluted with someapopriate fluid in order to obtain a workable volume of gas at aworkable temperature. Now, in the case of submarines, the additionalvolume of material which it is necessary to add to the products ofcombustion may very conveniently be atmospheric air when running on thesurface. When submersed, however, atmospheric air is no longeravailable, and it then becomes necessary to utilize some other fluid.The method of operation I prefer to adopt is to utilize part of theexhaust gases of the combustion motor as added material.

The present invention thusconsists in the improved methods of and meansfor working underwater vehicles of the type indicated hereinafterdescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims. a

My invention may be briefly summarized and exemplified as follows Whenabove water, the driving may be effected by means of a simple airturbine in which case sufficient air is compressed, not only to burn thecombustible. but also to act as theinert matter to utilize properly theheat generated, or the portion of the fluid to be compressed sufficientfor complete combustion may be drawn from the outside air, and thebalance of the working fluid from the exhaust after passing through afinal cooler and after compression to the maximum pressure. For belowwater working the only change necessary is to replace the fresh air ofthe working fluid by. air drawn from pressure storage tanks, or from astore of liquid air carried, or by oxygen sufficient to burn the fuel,this oxygen being obtained either from cylinders-of compressed gas orfrom a storage of more or less pure liquid oxygen carried in the vessel.The advantage of this method of working is that no supplementary oradditional combustion chamber and nozzle arrangement-s are required forunderwater working, the valve which cuts off the fresh air supply to thecompressor being connected to, open out the supply from the storagesys-' tem. Supplementary compressing cylinders may be fitted totheordinary working pumps or compressors in order to raise the air to thestorage pressure, while working on the surface ready for operationsubmersed.

The accompanying drawing shows a diagrammatic section through part ofasubmarine vessel by way of example of my invention.

According to the form of apparatus herein shown as suitable for carryingmy invention into effect, the driving motors consist of turbines, a, aarranged oncoaxial shafts, b, N, to rotate in opposite directions, andso drive respectively the propellers c, 0 The turbines are supplied withworking fluid from the combustion chambers, d, d,

by way of expansion nozzles, e, e, the exhaust from the turbines passingthrough suitable connections, 7, f, to a regenerator or cooler, 'h, andso overboard by way of the pipe, 2'. The regenerator, h, may take anyvconvenient form, and as shown comprises a series of tubes, is, connectedto collecting headers, these tubesbeing arranged within I The exhaustgases thus a is, while the fluid I 5 sufficient air is taken from theatmosphere not only to completely burn the combustible but also anamount in addition to form a working volume with the products ofcombustion. The pump, 6, as shown, may be utilized to deliver into theair storage tank,

00, by way of the pipe, 2, when for instance the vessel is in harbor ora supplementarypump, 2, may be fitted drawing from the atmosphere by wayof the pipes, 3 and, s, anddelivering the compressed air through thepipe 4, into the reservoir, w.

When working below the surface atmospheric air in unlimited quantitiesis no longer available, so that the air necessary for combustion passesunder pressure from the reservoir, :11, through the pipes, z, and v, tothe regenerator, and thus by pipes, 11: and 4 into the combustionchambers. The additional material to form a workable volume of fluidwith the products of combustion, is

in this case taken by a pump, 5, which may be driven by gearing, 6, fromthe propeller shaft, 6, from the exhaust port, 2', by way of the pipe,7, the exhaust gases having been cooled in the regenerator, and theamount so abstracted is forced through the pipes, 8 and 9, into thecombustion chambers. It is evident that without change in the apparatusthe exhaust gases may be used if desired, both when working on thesurface and when submersed. In the case of a torpedo for example, whichalways runs submersed, atmospheric air is in no case available as addedmaterial. Suitable valves,

40 two of which are indicated at, 10 and 11, are

fitted as required to enable the a paratus described to perform itsvarious unctions.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination in, a submersible acombustion motor carried by the same, a combustion chamber therefor,means for introducing into said chamber combustible and an excess ofoxidizer, together with means for replacing said excess of oxidizer by afluid other than said oxidizer under certain working conditions.

' 2. In combination in a submersible a combustion motor carried by thesame, a comfluid under certain working conditions.

3. In combination in a submersible a com-- bustion motor carried by thesame, a com bustion chamber therefor, means for introducing into saidchamber combustible and an excess of an oxidizer, together with meansfor replacing said excess of oxidizer by exhaust products from saidmotor under certain working conditions.

4. In combination in a submersible vehicle, a combustion motor carriedby the same and means for adding at will to the products of combustionof the fuel for said motor either a certain volume of air or a certainvolume of fluid other than air for the purpose set t'orth.

5. In combination in a submersible vehicle, a combustion turbine carriedbythe same and means for adding at will to the products of combustion ofthe fuel for said turbine either a certain volume of air or a certainvolume-of fluid other than air for the purpose set forth.

6. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motordriving the same and means for adding to the products of combustion ofthe fuel a certain volume of atmospheric air when running on the surfaceand a certain volume of fluid other than atmospheric air when submersed.

7. In combination in an automotonsubmersible, a combustion motor drivingthe same and means for adding to the products of combustion of the fuela certain volume of atmospheric air when running on the surface and acertain volume of vthe motor ex- ,haust gases when submersed.

8. In combination in an automotor submersibie, a combustion motordriving the same, and means for adding to the products of combustion ofthe fuel a certain volume of air or a certain volume of the motorexhaust gases at will.

9. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; acombustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pumpwith a suction connection through thevshell of said automotor t0 theatmosphere and a delivery controllable at. will either to said reservoiror to said combustion chamber. g

10. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; acombustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; apluralit of pumps; means for connecting the suctions of said pumpthrough the shell of said automotor to the atmosphere and means forconnecting the deliveries or said pum s to said reservoir together witha connection from one of said de ivery connecting means to saidcombustion chamber.

11. In combination in an underwater automotor, a combustion motor; acombustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases frornsaid motor and a connection from said cooling means to said combustion.

chamber to pass cooled exhaust ases thereto.

12. In combination in an un erwater automotor, a combustionturbine;acombustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases fromsaid turbine and a connection from said cooling means to saidcombu'stion chamber to pass cooled exhaust gases thereto.

13. In combination in an underwater automotor, a combustion motor; acombustion chamber therefor; means for cooling the exhaust gases fromsaid motor and a pump with a suction from said cooling means and adelivery to said combustion chamber to pass cooled exhaust gasesthereto.

14. In combination in an automotor sub-.

mersible, a combustion motor; a combustion chamber therefor a reservoirfor compressed fluid; a pump with a suction connection through the shellof said automotor together with a-single instrumentality for directingthe discharge of said pump at will either to said reservoir or to saidcombustion chamber.

15. In combination in an automotor submersible, a combustion motor; acombustion chamber therefor; a reservoir for compressed fluid; a pumpwith a suction connection through the shell of said automotor to theatmosphere together with connections from said pump and said reservoirto said chamber, said connections having a common part.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HALL, VVTLLIAM DUNCAN DAVIDSON.

